Lionel Richie’s 1983 hit “All Night Long” didn’t just dominate the charts — it also helped launch the career of Richard Marx.
Marx recently took to TikTok to reveal that he sang background vocals on the track. In the clip, he joins the chorus and points out the familiar “all night” response is actually him.
When Richie sings the song’s title “All Night Long,” Marx follows with “all night.” Those two words support the song’s chorus and are one of its most popular parts.
Marx has shared this story over the years during interviews with Kelly Clarkson and The Bobby Bones Show. In 2023, Marx appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where he shared the details of the moment Richie jump-started his career.
“My first job in the record business was singing background vocals for him,” Marx stated. “When I was 18.”
“I always wanted to be an artist, but I was getting rejected by all the record labels,” Marx continued. “To make a living, to pay my rent, I got a lot of work as a background singer.”
One year prior, in October 2022, Marx elaborated about his work on “All Night Long” and other details of working with the legendary Commodores founder. He told Tamron Hall, "It was my senior year of high school, and he said you should come to L.A., and when you come out here look me up. He gave me his number," he recalled.
"A year later, I graduated, and I blew off college. Went out to L.A., and he invited me out to the studio. He was making his first solo record, and I sang on a song called 'You Are.'"
Marx has since gone on to sell more than 30 million records worldwide. He has stated he periodically texts Lionel Richie to thank him for kickstarting his career.